This week, House Republicans will continue pursuing partisan legislation that will not create jobs or boost our economy. Rather than putting forward a comprehensive jobs plan, Republicans are wasting time on bills that have nothing to do with jobs and undermine critical consumer and environmental protections.

Conservative economist Bruce Bartlett, a former economic advisor for President Reagan, said: “…the idea that cutting regulations will lead to significant job growth…[is] just nonsense. It's just made up.” [AP, 10/30/11]

And according to the Washington Post, “Economists who have studied the matter say that there is little evidence that regulations cause massive job loss in the economy, and that rolling them back would not lead to a boom in job creation.” [11/13/11]

Instead of giving businesses the certainty they need, the bill Republicans are considering this week, The Regulatory Accountability Act of 2011, would add new hurdles to the regulatory process and undermine critical consumer protections. Business owners and experts agree this is not the legislation needed to boost our economy and put Americans back to work:

The Main Street Alliance, an alliance of small businesses: “In survey after survey and interview after interview, Main Street small business owners confirm that what we really need is more customers—more demand—not deregulation. Policies that restore our customer base are what we need now, not policies that shift more risk and more costs onto us from big corporate actors.” [11/16/11]

One of the Alliance’s members, Kelly Conklin who co-owns a custom woodworking business in Bloomfield, New Jersey, said: “This bill would gut rules and standards that protect small businesses, the communities where we live and work, and the customers we rely on for our livelihoods. I’d like to know, how will rolling back financial standards and allowing another financial crisis help small businesses? How will rolling back environmental rules and allowing another BP spill help small businesses? To hear these proposals being marketed in the name of helping small businesses, it’s just infuriating. This is small business identity theft – using our good name to push an agenda that benefits narrow special interests at our expense.” [11/16/11]

Professor Sidney Shapiro of Wake Forest School of Law testified before the House Judiciary Committee: “All of the available evidence contradicts the claim that regulatory uncertainty is deterring business investment. The available evidence demonstrates unequivocally that regulations have benefited the United States greatly, while the failure to regulate has cost us dearly.” [10/25/11]

Rather than waste time on partisan bills that won’t help our economy, it’s time for Republicans to get serious on job creation and work with Democrats on the Make It In America plan and the rest of the American Jobs Act – bipartisan proposals that will create jobs, bolster our economy and ensure the middle class can succeed.